Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

In what turned out to be a nailbiter, the John Carroll University baseball team turned away Baldwin Wallace, 7-6, in game one of a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon in Berea before being undone, 13-10, by a late Yellow Jacket rally in the later contest.

With a 7-3 advantage in the bottom of the seventh and final inning of game one, JCU appeared to be cruising toward a comfortable win over its conference rival.  However, three singles, a base on balls, and a fielding error put the Blue Streaks in jeopardy of succombing to a furious comeback attempt.

Runners were on second and third with two outs and a 7-6 John Carroll lead when freshman Zach Verner stepped in and forced a pop out to end the suspense and give the Blue & Gold the victory.

Connor Marrero was perfect at the plate in the game, with three hits in as many attempts, one RBI and two runs scored.  Jimmy Spagna went 2-4, and Aaron Miller laced a single that scored two baserunners in a game that JCU was outhit 11-9.

Aaron Lapaglia picked up the win to stay perfect at 4-0 on the pitcher's mound in 2013, striking out seven and allowing two earned runs in 4.0 innings.

The day's second game was one of big innings and multiple scoring runs.

JCU scored at least once in six of nine innings, but it was two five-run outbursts from the Yellow Jackets that proved to be the difference in BW's 13-10 marathon win.  After Miller capped a two-run first for the Blue & Gold with an RBI single, the home team ran off seven combined tallies in the first and second stanzas to take a 7-2 lead.

A methodical John Carroll team responded with six runs over the course of the next three innings to reclaim the advantage at 8-7.  Mark Huddle piloted the charge offensively, with an RBI single and a bases-clearing double in back-to-back innings.

When Bobby Sabatino doubled in Chet Lauer in the seventh frame -- one of his five hits in the game -- the Blue Streaks appeared to be at the helm once again.  But again, however, Baldwin Wallace had an exclamatory answer.  

The Yellow Jackets took advantage of two JCU errors in the bottom of the seventh to take a lead they would not relinquish.

With the split, the Blue Streaks move to 13-7 overall, 2-2 in the OAC, while BW is now 13-4, 3-1 in conference action.